Shuttle feeler thread parter and clamp



May 3, 1932. w 5M|TH 1,856,793

SHUTTLE FEELER THREAD PARTER AND CLAMP Filed May 2, 1931 INVENTOR fldzzmaawwi BY ATTORNEY Patented May 3, 1932 UNITEDASTATES PATENT oFFic WILLIAM L. SMITH, F NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR T0. DRAPER GOR- PORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION OF MAINE SHUTTLE FEELER THREAD IPARTER AND CLAMP,

This invention relates to shuttle feeler thread parters and clamps employed in looms. V

It is now the ordinary practice to provide looms of the filling replenishing type with a shuttle feeler thread parter and clamp whereby on call forreplenishment of filling the shuttle feeler moves from afront; to a rearward position to feel for the shuttle and the parter and clamp are actuated to part the filling leading to the shuttle box and clamp the end leading to the cloth selvage, with the result that when the shuttle feeler moves to its initial or front position, the end of the 15 clamped filling leading to the cloth selvage is positioned for the action of the temple thread cutter.

Various expedients have been suggested to prevent the clamped end of the filling from being released from the clamping members as the shuttle feeler moves to frontward position, but in weaving with certain kinds of yarn it will frequently happen that the clamped end of the filling will be released 2 from the clamping members by the strain placed upon it as the shuttle feeler moves to frontward position. 1

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a shuttle feeler thread parter and clamp wherein the clamping members will operate to securely hold the clamped filling and move it frontwardly to position it for the temple thread cutter and while the invention as hereinafter described may be T7 advantageously employed with any of the usual kinds of filling its utility is particularly observable when weaving with fine yarn, such for instance as silk, artificial silk, rayon, and the like. Such yarn is particularly liable to be released from the clamping members owing to the slippery nature of the yarn itself and a further object of the present invention is to provide a shuttle feeler thread parter and clamp wherein the clamping 4 members shall be so constituted that even Application filed my 2, 1931. Serial No. 534,476.

slippery yarn will be held by the clamp as the shuttle feeler moves to front position.

The invention and novel features thereof will best be made clear from the following description and accompanying drawings of one good form thereof.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the lay and shuttle feeler thread parter and clamp of the present invention, some of the parts being omitted or broken away; I

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation showing the shuttle feeler thread parter and clamp in their thread cutting and clamping position; and

Fig. 3 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 2 and showing the course of theclamped filling end.

The lay 1 may be of usual construction and is herein shown as provided with a recess 2 extending transversely thereof into which the shuttle feeler thread parter and clamp may extend when the shuttle feeler is in rearward shuttle feeling position.

The shuttle feeler 3 may be of usual construction and normally occupy a position at the front of the loom, but on call for replenishment of filling the shuttle feeler is moved rearwardly into shuttle feeling position, as indicated in Fig. 2. The means for manipulating the shuttle feeler form no part of the present invention and as thedetails thereof are now well known their illustration and description herein is unnecessary.

The rearwardly extending portion of the shuttle feeler is provided with the shuttle engaging jaws 4 and 5, whereby should the shuttle be not properly positioned in the box the shuttle feeler will act to prevent replenishment of filling. 1

The thread parting members comprise a fixed parting member 6 and a relatively movable parting member 7, the latter of which is mounted for pivotal movement upon a stud 8 extending into theshuttle feeler as usual. The movable thread parting member may be actuated to part the filling by a heel 9 adapted to be engaged by the lay or part thereon when the shuttle feeler is in its rearward shuttle feeling position. The parts so far described are or may be of usual construction.

Mounted for movement upon the stud 8 is the movable clamping member 10 closely associated with the movable cutting member 7 and mounted in fixed position on the stud 8 is the fixed clamping member 11, suitably held in fixed position by a pin 12 extending laterally from the shuttle feeler. and engaging the bifurcated end 13 of the fixed clamp ing member. To accommodate for the movement of the movable thread parter and movable thread clamp, both of these members are provided with an opening 14 through which the pin 12 extends. As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 the several parts hereinbefore described are held in associated relation on the stud 8 by means of a spring washer or similar device 15.

The fixed clamping member 11 has a rearwardly extending thread supporting portion 16 over which the thread may pass when the shuttle feeler is in its rearward feeling position, and extending longitudinally of the thread supportingportion 16 of the fixed clamping member is a groove 17, which may be variously formed, but as herein shown is of V shape.

The movable clamping member in the form of the invention shown carries a pad of yielding material 18, which projects or extends laterally from the side face of the movable clamping member 10, withthe result that the pad 18 overhangs the thread supporting portion 16 of the fixed clamping member. I

The lower or clamping edge portion of the yielding pad 18 is preferably shaped to conform to the groove 17 in the fixed clamping member and is so disposed with relation tothe movable clamping member 10 that its clamping edge 19 is above the lower edge 20 of the movable clamping member.

Then filling replenishment is called and the shuttle feeler moves from its front to its rearward feeling position the parts take the position indicated in Fig. 1 and if the shuttle is properly boxed the movable thread parter and thread clamping members are actuated from the heel 9 by the lay to part and clamp the filling as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

As the movable clamping member 10 is moved to thread clamping position its lower edge 20 will depress the filling at the side of the fixed clamping member 11 and serve to hold the filling at this point while the clamping edge 19 of the yielding material will depress the filling into the groove 17 of the fixed clamping member, so that the thread is doubly clamped, first between the movable clamping member and the fixed clamping member, and second by the yielding pad material depressing the filling into the thread holding groove 17 of the fixed clamping member.

The result is that when the shuttle feeler is again moved frontwardly to its initial position the double clamped filling end will be held securely and position the filling for the action of the temple thread cutter and this will occur even should the filling be of fine count or of slippery yarn.

While the parting members 6 and 7 are constructed as shown and described they may be otherwise formed'to part. the filling when the shuttle feeler' is in rearward feeling position, the-invention itself being more particularly directed to the clamping features of the thread parter and clamp.

As shown in the present instance of the invention, the pad of yielding material 18 may be secured to the side of the movable parting member 10 by means of pins or rivets 21,- the essentials in this respect being that the pad shall extend laterally from the face of the, parting memberin opposed relation to the thread holding groove 17 in the fixed clamping member.

The invention provides a simple and effective clamp which will not permit the end' of the filling leading to the cloth sclvageto be drawn from the clamp as the shuttle feeler moves to its front position.

\Vhat is claimed is p 1. In a shuttle feeler thread parter' and clamp, the combination of the shuttle feeler, relatively movable threadpartin'g members mounted on the shuttle feeler, -a fixed clamping member having thread supporting portion provided with a longitudinally extending groove, a movable clamping member secured in face to face relation with the movable partingfmember' and having a pad of yielding material secured directly to the exposed face of the movable clamping mem-' ber and extending from the side face thereof in overhanging relation with the longitudinal groove of the fixed clamping member with the lower edge thereof above the lower edge from the side face thereof with its clamping edge above the lower edge of the movable of the movable clamping member so that WILLIAM L. SMITH. 

